Any partnership, association, corporation, firm, institution,
trust, foundation, sole proprietor, or other organization (except
the state and the Town of Bel Air or any agency thereof), whether
or not operated for profit.

Ownership of an interest as the result of which the owner
has received within the past three years, is currently receiving,
or in the future is entitled to receive, more than $1,000 per year;
or an official, employee or spouse of an official or employee has
ownership of more than 3% of a business entity.

The transfer of anything of economic value, regardless of
form, without adequate and lawful consideration. A gift does not include
the solicitation, acceptance, receipt, or regulation of a political
contribution that is regulated in accordance with the Election Law
Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or any other state law regulating
the conduct of elections or the receipt of political contributions.

Any legal or equitable economic interest that is owned or
held, in whole or in part, jointly or severally, directly or indirectly,
whether or not the economic interest is subject to an encumbrance
or condition. However, "interest" shall not include an interest held
in the capacity of an agent, custodian, fiduciary, personal representative,
or trustee, unless the holder has an equitable interest in the subject
matter; an interest in a time or demand deposit in a financial institution;
an interest in an insurance policy, endowment policy, or annuity contract
by which an insurer promises to pay a fixed amount of money in a lump
sum or periodically for life or some other specified period; or a
common trust fund or a trust that forms part of a pension or a profit-sharing
plan that has more than 25 participants and is determined by the IRS
to be a qualified trust or college savings plan under the Internal
Revenue Code.

Any Town office, department, institution, board, commission
or corporation which is recognized as a branch or segment of Town
government, either by the Town Charter or by any ordinance or resolution
of the Town.

Any proceeding, application, submission, request for filing
or other determination, any contract, claim or case, any sale or purchase,
any computer transfer of moneys or information, or other such matter
that the Town of Bel Air or any of the agencies, boards, commissions
and offices thereof may be a party to or in which the Town of Bel
Air may reasonably be expected to be a party.

The
Board of Ethics is hereby established for the purpose of administering
this Code of Ethics and recommending necessary changes to the Board
of Town Commissioners from time to time. The Board of Ethics shall
consist of five Town of Bel Air residents, not less than 21 years
of age, who shall be appointed by the Board of Town Commissioners
of Bel Air. Members shall serve staggered four-year terms and shall
be removed only for cause. No member of the Board shall be otherwise
an official or employee of the Town of Bel Air, nor shall any member
receive compensation.

Develop procedures and policies for advisory opinion requests and
provide published advisory opinions to persons subject to this chapter
regarding the applicability of the provisions of this chapter to them.

The
Board of Ethics shall certify to the State Ethics Commission, on or
before October 1 of each year, that the Town is in compliance with
the requirements of State Government Article, Title 15, Subtitle 8,
Annotated Code of Maryland, for elected local officials.

The
Board of Ethics shall determine if changes to this chapter are required
to be in compliance with the requirement of State Government Article,
Title 15, of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and shall forward any
recommended changes and amendments to the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners
for enactment.

Any matter in which, to the knowledge of the official or employee,
the official or employee, or a qualified relative of the official
or employee, has an interest, except in the exercise of an administrative
or ministerial duty that does not affect the disposition or decision
of the matter.

A business entity with which the official or employee or, to
the knowledge of the official or employee, a qualified relative of
the official or employee is negotiating employment or has any arrangement
concerning prospective employment;

A business entity that is a party to an existing contract with
the official or employee, or which, to the knowledge of the official
or employee, is a party to a contract with a qualified relative, if
the contract reasonably could be expected to result in a conflict
between the private interests of the official or employee and the
official duties of the official or employee;

A business entity doing business with the Town in which a direct
financial interest is owned by another entity in which the official
or employee has a direct financial interest, if the official or employee
may be reasonably expected to know of both direct financial interests;
or

In which a creditor or obligee of the official or employee or
of a qualified relative of the official or employee is in a position
to directly and substantially affect the interest of the official
or employee or of a qualified relative of the official or employee.

A person who is disqualified from participating under Subsection A(1)(a) and (b) shall disclose the nature and circumstances of the conflict using a conflict of interest form sufficiently in advance of the action and may participate or act if:

Except as permitted by regulation of the Board of Ethics, when the
interest is disclosed or when the employment does not create a conflict
of interest or appearance of conflict, an official or employee may
not:

An official or employee who is appointed to a regulatory or
licensing authority pursuant to a statutory requirement that persons
subject to the jurisdiction of the authority be represented in appointments
to the authority;

Subject to other provisions of law, a member of a board or commission
in regard to a financial interest or employment held at the time of
appointment, provided the financial interest or employment is publicly
disclosed to the appointing authority and the Board of Ethics;

An official or employee whose duties are ministerial, if the
private employment or financial interest does not create a conflict
of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, as permitted
by and in accordance with regulations adopted by the Board of Ethics;
or

Employment or financial interests allowed by regulation of the
Board of Ethics if the employment does not create a conflict of interest
or the appearance of a conflict of interest or the financial interest
is disclosed.

A former official or employee may not assist or represent any party
other than the Town for compensation in a case, contract, or other
specific matter involving the Town if that matter is one in which
the former official or employee significantly participated as an official
or employee.

Until the conclusion of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the
Board of Town Commissioners that begins after the elected official
leaves office, a former official or member of the Bel Air Board of
Town Commissioners may not assist or represent another party for compensation
in a matter that is the subject of legislative action.

Contingent compensation. Except in a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding,
an official or employee may not assist or represent a party for contingent
compensation (i.e., dependent or conditioned by something happening)
in any matter before or involving the Town.

Has financial interests that may be substantially and materially
affected, in a manner distinguishable from the public generally, by
the performance or nonperformance of the official duties of the official
or employee;

Reasonable expenses for food, travel, lodging, and scheduled
entertainment of the official or the employee at a meeting which is
given in return for the participation of the official or employee
in a panel or speaking engagement at the meeting;

Gifts or tickets or free admission extended to an elected official
to attend a charitable, cultural, or political event, if the purpose
of this gift or admission is a courtesy or ceremony extended to the
elected official's office;

A specific gift or class of gifts that the Board of Ethics exempts
from the operation of this subsection upon a finding, in writing,
that acceptance of the gift or class of gifts would not be detrimental
to the impartial conduct of the business of the Town and that the
gift is purely personal and private in nature;

Disclosure of confidential information. Other than in the discharge
of official duties, an official or employee may not disclose or use
confidential information that the official or employee acquired by
reason of the official's or employee's public position and
that is not available to the public, for the economic benefit of the
official or employee or that of another person.

An individual or a person that employs an individual who assists
a Town agency in the drafting of specifications, an invitation for
bids, or a request for proposals for a procurement may not submit
a bid or proposal for that procurement or assist or represent another
person, directly or indirectly, who is submitting a bid or proposal
for the procurement.

The Board of Ethics may establish exemptions from the requirements
of this section for providing descriptive literature, sole-source
procurements, and written comments solicited by the procuring agency.

Except as provided in Subsection C of this section, an elected official or a candidate to be an elected official shall file the financial disclosure form, provided by the Board of Ethics, required under this section:

An individual who is appointed to fill a vacancy in an office for
which a financial disclosure form is required and who has not already
filed the form shall file a financial disclosure form for the preceding
calendar year within 30 days after appointment.

Except for an official who has filed a financial disclosure form
under another provision of this section for the reporting period,
a candidate to be an elected official shall file a financial disclosure
form each year beginning with the year in which the certificate of
candidacy is filed through the year of the election.

May file the required financial disclosure form under Subsection D(2)(a) of this section with the Town Clerk or Board of Ethics with the certificate of candidacy or prior to filing the certificate of candidacy; and

If a candidate fails to file a financial disclosure form required
by this section after written notice is provided by the Town Clerk
or Board of Ethics, the candidate is deemed to have withdrawn the
candidacy.

Financial disclosure form shall be made available during normal office
hours for examination and copying by the public, subject to administrative
procedures and reasonable fees, as established in the Town's
Fee Schedule passed by the Board of Town Commissioners.

Upon request by the official or employee whose financial disclosure
form was examined or copied, the Board of Ethics shall provide the
official with a copy of the name and home address of the person who
reviewed the official's financial disclosure form.

Interests in real property. A financial disclosure form filed under
this section shall include a schedule of all interests in real property,
wherever located. For each interest in real property, this schedule
shall include:

If any interest was transferred, in whole or in part, at any
time during the reporting period, a description of the interest transferred,
the nature and amount of the consideration received for the interest,
and the identity of the person to whom the interest was transferred;
and

Interest in corporations and partnerships. A financial disclosure
form filed under this section shall include a schedule of all interests
in any corporation, partnership, limited liability partnership, or
limited liability corporation, regardless of whether the corporation
or partnership does business with the Town.

With respect to any interest transferred, in whole or in part,
at any time during the reporting period, a description of the interest
transferred, the nature and amount of the consideration received for
the interest and, if known, the identity of the person to whom the
interest was transferred; and

Interests in business entities doing business with the Town. A financial disclosure form filed under this section shall include a schedule of all interests in any business entity that does business with the Town, other than interests reported under Subsection F(2). For each interest reported under this subsection, the schedule shall include:

With respect to any interest transferred, in whole or in part,
at any time during the reporting period, a description of the interest
transferred, the nature and amount of the consideration received in
exchange for the interest, and, if known, the identity of the person
to whom the interest was transferred; and

Gifts. A gift disclosure form filed annually under this section shall
include a schedule of each gift in excess of $20 in value or a series
of gifts totaling $100 or more received on or before April 30 of each
year from or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any one person
who does business with or is regulated by the Town. For each gift
reported, the schedule shall include:

Employment with or interests in entities doing business with the
Town. A financial disclosure form filed under this section shall include
a schedule of all offices, directorships, and salaried employment
by the individual or member of the immediate family of the individual
held at any time during the reporting period with entities doing business
with the Town. For each position reported under this subsection, the
schedule shall include:

Indebtedness to entities doing business with the Town. A financial
disclosure form filed under this section shall include a schedule
of all liabilities, excluding retail credit accounts, to persons doing
business with the Town owed at any time during the reporting period:

A financial disclosure form filed under this section shall include
a schedule of the immediate family members of the individual employed
by the Town in any capacity at any time during the reporting period.

The name and address of each place of employment and of each
business entity of which the individual or a member of the individual's
immediate family was sole or partial owner and from which the individual
or a member of the individual's immediate family received earned
income, at any time during the reporting period.

A minor child's employment or business ownership need not
be disclosed if the Town does not regulate, exercise authority over,
or contract with the place of employment or business entity of the
minor child.

On or before April 30 of each year during which an official or employee holds office, an official or employee shall file a gift disclosure form disclosing gifts, as defined in § 43-4, that were received during the preceding calendar year from any person that contracts with or is regulated by the Town, including the name of the donor of the gift and the approximate retail value at the time of receipt.

Submitting
a conflict of interest form to the Board of Ethics, an official or
employee shall disclose employment and interests that raise conflicts
of interest or potential conflicts of interest in connection with
a specific proposed action by the employee or official sufficiently
in advance of the action to provide adequate disclosure to the public.

The Board of Ethics shall maintain all financial disclosure forms filed under this section as public records available for public inspection and copying as provided in § 43-5E, entitled "Public Records," and § 43-5E(5), entitled Retention Requirements, of this chapter.

The Board of Ethics shall review the financial disclosure forms submitted
under this section for compliance with the provisions of this section
and shall notify an individual submitting the form of any omissions
or deficiencies.

A
lobbyist shall file a lobbying registration form with the Board of
Ethics on or before the later of January 15 of the calendar year or
within five days after first performing an act that requires registration
in the calendar year with the Board of Ethics if the person:

In connection with the intent to influence, expends or reasonably
expects to expend in a given calendar year in excess of $100 on food,
entertainment, or other gifts for officials or employees of the Town.

The Board of Ethics shall maintain the registrations and reports
filed under this section as public records available for public inspection
and copying at the Town Clerk's office for four years after receipt
by the Board of Ethics.

The Board of Ethics may grant exemptions and modifications to the provisions of §§ 43-4 and 43-6 of this chapter to employees and to appointed members of the Town Board and commissions when the Board of Ethics finds that an exemption or modification would not be contrary to the purposes of this chapter and the application of this chapter would:

Suspend the registration of an individual registered lobbyist if the Board of Ethics finds that the lobbyist has knowingly and willfully violated § 43-7 of this chapter or has been convicted of a criminal offense arising from lobbying activities.

Upon
request of the Board of Ethics, the Town Attorney may file a petition
for injunctive or other relief in the Circuit Court of Harford County,
or in any other court having proper venue, for the purpose of requiring
compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

Void an official action taken by an official or employee with a conflict
of interest prohibited by this chapter when the action arises from
or concerns the subject matter of the conflict and if the legal action
is brought within 90 days of the occurrence of the official action,
if the court deems voiding the action to be in the best interest of
the public.

The Town official or employee found to have violated this chapter
is subject to disciplinary or other appropriate personnel action,
including removal from office, disciplinary action, suspension of
salary, or other sanction.